West Clermont Local School District |
Administrative Guidelines |
2231 - GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING EFFECTIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES
WHAT |
WHY |
HOW |
WITH WHAT |
RESULT |
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1. |
Determine and justify specific learning need. |
Unless the teacher is clear about what students need to learn and why, the learning time is easily wasted and there is no focus to the students’ learning effort. |
Determine what learners need to know or be able to do. Compare need with what they currently know or can do. Select first essential learning gap to be filled. |
Course of Study, direct observation, staff input, teacher guides, etc. |
A concise statement of the learning need (links the content with learning task). |
2. |
Describe the needed or desired learning result. |
Unless teacher/learners have a clear picture of the outcome, needed achievement cannot be confirmed nor can the learning be adequately justified. |
Form a mental picture of the situation that it would be like if the learning need has been met both appropriately and sufficiently. |
Personal knowledge of such a result or a description of the learning result as provided by a competent resource. |
A complete, accurate description of what learners will have said or done at the completion of the learning task. |
3. |
Decide on the learning and associated teaching strategies needed to produce the learning result. |
This decision circumscribes the necessary sequence of events so that time/effort are not wasted on unproductive actions. |
Analyze the learning result by asking "what do learners need to do to achieve this result." Then ask, "What do I need to do for them to participate properly in the learning?" |
Previous experience or reference to effective learning/teaching strategies. |
A listing of the teaching strategies, or if necessary, a listing of the essential actions. |
4. |
Select needed materials and/or resource people. |
Without the information available in appropriate forms, learners/teachers do not have the content necessary to produce the learning result. |
Refer to Course of Study or other resources that provide the essential data. Examine carefully to confirm data is complete, accurate, and appropriate for the particular learners. |
Course of Study, task analyses, personal knowledge of related situations, media centers, etc. |
A complete, accurate description of the critical information as well as the means for its presentation. |
WHAT |
WHY |
HOW |
WITH WHAT |
RESULT |
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5. |
Determine the procedures for managing and organizing materials and learners. |
Because any learning activity can take place in a variety of ways, it is economical and efficient to determine ahead of time the most favorable, possible conditions for achieving the learning result. |
Decide how students will be organized first. Ask yourself, "what are the most effective ways for students to be organized so they can achieve the result?" Then consider materials --- how many, when, where, etc. |
Notes from previous lessons, references which describe how to establish a productive learning environment, etc. |
A description of the physical arrangements of students and materials plus the schedule for conducting the learning activities. |
6. |
Decide on the Initiating Procedure. |
Essential to establishing focus and relevance for learners. |
Refer to learning result for designing a lesson overview. Refer to Teacher Guides for general focus procedures and adapt for a particular situation. Examine to be sure the procedure will initiate relevant, on-focus learning behavior. |
Step 2 of your plan. |
A statement students will understand concerning what is to be done, why, and the intended result. A question or direction that meets the criteria for initiating focused, relevant learning. |
7. |
Determine follow-through procedures needed to ensure the learning result. |
The learning result will not occur from only the Initiating Procedure. Without well-planned follow-through, the prospects for students achieving the needed result is almost nil. |
Anticipate what could occur during the activity that could interfere with students achieving the learning result. |
Previous experience with such activities, colleagues’ advice, teacher guides, etc. |
A list of questions and direction that ensure achievement of the intended learning. |
WHAT |
WHY |
HOW |
WITH WHAT |
RESULT |
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8. |
Check internal consistency of each element in the plan. |
It is easy to think of different elements as separate entities and not as a necessary part of the whole process for achieving the needed result. If elements are not related, the result is in jeopardy. |
Analyze the assessed needs relative to the expected result and ask, "If this result were achieved, would the needs of the situation be met satisfactorily?" |
Notes from teacher training and this plan. |
An appropriate and sufficient plan that maximizes the likelihood that the learners will achieve the needed learning result. |
9. |
Design follow-on activities. |
If students achieved the result, the learning lesson should be used to apply or reinforce, or to develop new, related learnings. If not, lack of learning needs to be addressed. |
Plan additional lessons using these guidelines and the experiences of this lesson. |
© Neola 2002